Valve for acetylene-gas generators.



I PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906. I. W. HIGGS & H. HOYOSS.

VALVE PORAO'ETYLENE GAS GENERATORS. APPLIGATIOJ FILED Alma 1902.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mmwxxmmamx x Q) N 7142 72275365; J m M m M j Jig. m

' mnRsw. u. omum cu, mom urnacmmzns. wAsmNGYom n. c,

I I v PATENTED JUNE'IQ, 1906. I. W. HIGGS & H. H.0YOSS VALVE FOR AGETYLENE GAS GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.8. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANDREW. 5. Guam 0% PiOYO-UIHDGRAPMERS. wAsmNaYoM. o. c,

I UNITED STATES ISAA w. IIICCS AND HOKON HOYOSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSICNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To HOME CARBIDE GAS COMPANY, OF-

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

VALVE FOR ACETYLE NE-GAS GENERATORS.

Patented June 19, 1906.

7 To all whom zit/may concern:

Be it known that we, ISAAC W. HIGGS and HOKON HoYoss, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Acetylene- A vide an induction-tube with a rotary valve for the purpose which cannot be clogged so as to interfere with the feeding or stopped when open so as to allow the admission of carbid when not desired or otherwise fail to serve its intended purpose.

It is a further object to provide the induction-tube with means in connection with the valve for directing the stream of carbid upon the valve and protecting it from the full 1 weight of the carbid in said tube.

To these ends we propose to provide the induction-tube, which connects the hopper I quantity of the carbid to be discharged therefrom into the generator by the rotation of the valve and to provide the tube above the valve with a series of inclined baffle-plates designed to partially relieve the valve of the weight of the descending carbid and direct the current upon the valve in the directionof the revolution of its pockets.

We have attained these objects in the device constructed as illustrated in the accomtion-tube. ing in perspective a ratchet and its rack-bar.

panying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents in side elevation with broken portionsa generator of the class described and shows the relation ofthe watertank, gas-bell, carbid-reservoir, and induc- Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail show- Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view show- :ing a yertical section taken centrally through that portion of the induction-tube where the valve and inclined baffle-plates are located. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 3 and Shows the parts as viewed at right angles to their position seen in Fig. 3.

In the drawings, A is the body of the generator; B, the gas-bell; O, the carbid reservoir or hopper, and D the induction-tube, which connects the latter with'the lower por-. tion of the body, in which the water for the generation of the gas is contained. A pipe with stop-cock E for drawing Off water and also a pipe at e for taking ofi the gas are provided, and all of the parts so far mentioned are of the ordinary construction and arrangement, so that it is'not deemed necessary to more particularly describe the same.

A shaft a is extended through the induction-tube D and journaled in the opposite walls thereof so as to rotate freely, means being provided for making gas-tight connections to prevent the escape of gas at the openings in the tube'for the shaft. In the present instance the induction-tube is rectangular in cross-section. The rotary valve is mounted on the shaft and adapted to Suit the rectan gular tube. The valve consists, preferably, of an octagonal central part a, with disks a at the ends having inturned flanges a at the periphery, and division-plates a, secured to the central part and disks, so as to form pockets a closed at the sides and ends by the division-plates and disks and open at the periphery except where covered by the flanges at. The margins of" the peripheral edges of the division-plates arepreferabIy curved forward, as seen at 0, Said divisionplates are distinguished from radial divisionplates in being placed off from the center or not in plane with the. axis of rotation and inclined forward or in the direction of the revolution of the pockets and are distinguished from division-plates hinged to the valvebody so as to form peripheral pockets to; be

emptied by a turning of the'plates on their A hinge in having fixed relation in the rotary valve and being arranged to be filled and emptied by the rotation of the valve itself.

The pockets are of the requisite size and have such arrangement with relation to the chute as to receive and control the deliveryof all'the carbid passing throughthe chute I toward the generator, so that in operation all of the carbid passes from the chute into the ockets and is separately delivered thererom to the generator as contradistinguished from being delivered to the generator through a throat or opening of a hopper or chute closed by a weighted hinged gate, which is worked by a toothed feed-wheel, adapted to crowd the carbid against the ate.

Above the rotary va ve is a series of baffleplates 5, placed ata downward slope of less than forty-five degrees. The plates are designed to carry the greater portion of the weight of the carbid free of the valve, but allow the carbid to slide down as fast as takenby the pockets of the valve. The opening between the baffie-plates b at their lower edges is less than the distance between the flanges a so that the stream of descending carbid will be centrally delivered in the pockets clear of said flanges, as seen in Fig. 4:. To one of the baffle-plates there is pivoted a cover I), which is adapted to fit over the uppermost pocket at the time it is being filled, the weight of the cover being made su'lficient to prevent the carbid from being spilled or forced over the front side during the filling. The free end or portion of the cover rests on the outer edge of the division-plates between the flanges a when said plates are passing the cover, and When said cover slips off of the front side of a pocket it rests down upon the stream of incoming carbid. The effect of this is to spread the carbid in the pocket toward the ends of the pocket under the flange a and to check the force of the current toward the filled pocket and tend to turn it back toward the neXt approaching empty pocket.

A similar hinged cover 11 is provided for the pocket next behind the topmost one. This is curved on the arc of the eriphery of the valve, so as to successive y cover the pockets as they approach the opening between the baifle-plates I), through which they are filled. The cover 6 is not regarded as of especial value in a stationary generator, but would be of service in a generator used aboard railroad-cars or other moving conveyances where it would be subject to more or less shock or ar.

Thelowermost of the baflie-plates 1; constitutes, in effect, a spout or chute for directing the stream of carbid out from the wall of the tube and gently down upon the rotary valve in the direction of the revolution of its pockets.

The discharge end of the chute is placed or arranged at or about the intersection of a horizontal plane tangent to the top of the circle described by the rotary valve, with a vertical plane coincident with the vertical position of the pocket division-plates when adjacent to said horizontal plane. With the chute having such relation with the pockets the force of gravity upon the carbid passing from the chute into the pockets is never sufficient to cause the carbid to rise above and run over the rear side of the pockets, or any pocket, into the generator at any phase of the revolution, or to rise high enough in the rear of the pockets to come in contact with the cover b or with the chute, or to be caught between its lower end and the rear side of the pocket when carried forward in the pocket passing close under the chute. The invention is distinguished by this relation of these parts for securing the results of preventin any such overflow backward of the valve and preventing obstruction to the free movement of the valve by particles of carbid getting caught between it and the chute or being carried by the pocket in rubbing contact with a relatively stationary part of the apparatus. In the revolution the rear side of the pockets at the peripheral margin, as seen at a, Fig. 3, is brought sufficiently behind the discharge end of the chute and so elevated relatively thereto just when the front side has passed the chute sufficiently to let in the carbid to come above the line to which the inllowing carbid will rise at said rear side by the force of gravity upon the inflowing current from the chute, and consequently the carbid in the pocket behind the chute as carried forward by the pocket will pass free of the cover I) and under the lower end of the chute without coming in contact therewith or being liable to be caught between it and the rear side of the pocket. The revolution of the pockets being produced automatically by the movement of the gas-bell is liable to stop just as the carbid begins to pass from the chute into a pocket, and in such case gravity would cause the carbid to run over the rear side of the pocket into the generator unless this arrangement of the chute and pockets or other means were provided to prevent it.

In consequence of the forward inclination of the division-plates the front side of the pocket-chambers has greater area than the rear side and can therefore retain a large part of the ocket contents when the front side by revo ution is brought to the horizontal or a little beyond; but the forwardly-curved margin a allows a portion of the contents to be discharged into the generator when the horizontal is reached, or even a little before. The portion so discharged will often produce sufficient gas to cause the bell to rise, and in such case the rotation of the valve stops while the partially-emptied pocket holds back the rest of its contents until the bell descends a ain.

Metallic baflle-plates c,with the parts 0 and c serve to intercept moisture rising in the induction-tube and condense it below the part of the tube where the valve is situated.

The shaft a is provided with a ratchetwheel or pinion F, with which a spring rackbar F engages. The rack-bar is mounted on the gas-'bell and receives movement therefrom. A light spring f, attached to the body of the generator, maybe used to insure contact of the rack-bar with the wheel. a The valve is rotated intermittently by means of the rack and pinion. As a charge ofcarbid from one of the pockets falls into the water gas is immediately formed, which causes the bell to rise, the rack sliding on the pinion, and as the gas is exhausted; from the bell it will fall, causing the rack to engage the pinion-and turn the valve until another charge of carbid is dumped into the water.

- empty or partially empty any of the filled pockets.

The rotary valve cannot be turned backward, the cover 1) operating with the pockets of the valve as a'pawl with a ratchet-pinion to prevent backward rotation suflicient to plane tangent to the top of the circle de-' scribed by the valve with a vertical lane coincident with the vertical position 0 the rear side of the pockets when adjacent to said horizontal plane,-as specified.-

2. An induction-tube having an interior chute in combination with a' rotary valve.

provided with peripheral pockets inclined in the direction of revolution, the chute being inclined downward toward the valve in the direction of the rotation and having its discharge end located at about the intersection of a horizontal plane tangent to the top of the circle described by the valve with a vertical plane coincident with the vertical position of the rear side of the pockets when adj acent to said horizontal plane, as specified.

3. An induction-tube having an interior chute comprising a series of baffle-plates extended alternately from opposite sides of the tube in combination with a rotary valve rovided with peripheral pockets, thelast p ate of the chute being incllned downward toward the valve in the direction of the rotation of the pockets and having its discharge end located at the intersection of a horizontal plane tangent to the top of the circle described by the valve with a vertical lane coincident with the vertical position 0 the rear side of the pockets when adjacent to said horizontal plane, as specified. j

clined chute in combination with a rotary Valve having serial peripheral pockets inclined in the direction of the revolution and separated by division-plates having their peripheral margins curved or projectedforward,

the valve being arranged close under'and behfiirad the discharge end of the chute as speci- 5. An induction-tube having an interior chute in conjunction with a rotary valve provided with serial peripheral chute being inclined downwar toward the valve in the direction of revolution and hav- 'ing its discharge end located at about the intersectlon of a horizontal plane tangent to the top of the circle described by the valve with avertical plane coincident with the vert1cal position of the rear side of the pockets when adjacent'to said horizontal plane and a hinged cover for the pockets arranged above and in front of the .chute so as to fall upon the valve, as specified.

6. An induction-tube provided with an inclined chute in combination with a rotary valve provided with a series of large peripheral pockets adapted and arranged to receive and control the entire mass of carbid passing down the chute, and a hinged cover for the pockets, arranged to have its free end fall over and project into the pockets so as to 4. An induction-tube provided with an in (pockets, the

slide over the front sides thereofinrevolution as specified.

7. In an apparatus of the class described an induction-tube provided with a chute in combination with a rotary valve provided with peripheral pockets, the chute being inclined downward toward the valve in the direction of the rotation and having its discharge end located at about the intersection of a horizontal plane tangent to the top of the circle described by the valve with a vertical plane coincident with the vertical position of the rear side of the pockets when adjacent to said horizontal plane, and mechanism connecting the valve-shaft with the gas-bell for causing the valve to rotate, as specified.

ISAAC W. HIGGS. HOKON HOYOSS. Witnesses:

ANNIE M. ADAMS, EMMA M. KRUSE. 

